Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Central records of non-medical absences are held for staff who are on special leave, maternity leave, paternity leave or career breaks. 270 staff in DEFRA, Animal Health, the Government Decontamination Service, the Marine and Fisheries Agency, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate were recorded as being absent for these reasons on 2 or 3 February or both. Information for the other agencies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Staff who were unable to travel to the office because of heavy snow on these days were able to work from home using either their DEFRA laptop or web mail. A peak of 1,500 people were recorded on the Department's IT systems as having logged in concurrently from home during the week commencing 2 February. Staff who were unable to travel to the office or work from home may, with the agreement of their manager, have taken annual leave, flexible working hours leave or flexible hours credit, for which central records are not kept.
	Guidance issued to staff referred to the following statement:
	"Appropriate credit time may be given for any unavoidable delays in arriving at work or unavoidable absences from work due to transport disruption or other exceptional circumstances such as extremely severe weather or for early departure for the same reason".
	No estimate has been made of any cost to the Department or the number of working hours lost on these days.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 7W, which Ministers attended each training course; what the name of each course was; and how much each course cost.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Ministers in DEFRA have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
	
		
			  Training course  Number of Ministers 
			 Communications training 1 
			 Media training 1 
			 Leadership training 1

Farmers: Income

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the average income of a sheep farmer;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of sheep farmers who had an income of less than £10,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 30 March 2009
	Information is not published separately for specialist sheep farmers. These are included within the broader category of grazing livestock farms for the purpose of this analysis. Data from the Farm Business Survey(1) shows that the average Farm Business Income in 2007-08 was £10,400 on grazing livestock farms in the Less Favoured Area (LFA)(2) and £12,400 on grazing livestock farms in the lowland(3). Approximately 53 per cent. of grazing livestock farmers in the LFA had a farm business income lower that £10,000. For grazing livestock farmers in the lowlands the figure was 55 per cent.
	Farm business income is the headline measure of the profitability of farm businesses. It represents the financial return to all unpaid labour (farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors and their spouses and family workers) and on all their capital invested in the farm business, including land and buildings.
	(1) The Farm Business Survey sample covers businesses with a Standard Labour Requirement (SLR) of at least 0.5, i.e. a size considered sufficient to occupy a farmer for at least half their time.
	(2) Farms with more than two-thirds of their total standard gross margin (SGM) in cattle and sheep except holdings classified as dairy. A farm is classified as in the LFA if 50 per cent. or more of its total area is in the EC Less Favoured Area (both disadvantaged and severely disadvantaged).
	(3) Farms with more than two-thirds of their total SGM in cattle and sheep except holdings classified as dairy. A farm is classified as "lowland" if less than 50 per cent. of its total area is in the EU Less Favoured Area.

Floods: Property Development

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which planning authorities have made representations to the Environment Agency seeking as waiver of the restrictions on building in flood risk areas since 27 January; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 20 March 2009
	The Environment Agency has no powers to either restrict or waive restrictions on building in flood risk areas. The Environment Agency is a consultee in the planning process, providing technical advice and information on the flood risk implications of development proposals. The Environment Agency may object to developments that do not comply with planning policy statement 25—Development and Flood Risk, but the final planning decision rests with the local planning authority.

Fuels: RAF Fairford

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken in relation to the fuel spillage at RAF Fairford on 25 February 2009; and what assessment his Department has made of the effects of the spillage on  (a) water supply and  (b) plant and animal life.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency was notified by the Ministry of Defence of the aviation fuel spill on 25 February 2009 and attended the air force base immediately. The Environment Agency found that the fuel had affected local ground and a surface water ditch off site. The Ministry of Defence put into operation their emergency response plan to contain and clean up the spill.
	The Environment Agency attended the site for three days afterwards and ensured that the Ministry of Defence investigated the full impact of the spill to the local environment: this included surveys to ensure no fuel had affected local groundwater.
	The Environment Agency has also completed an investigation which has shown no effect on water supply. A local ditch had been recently cleared by the landowner and contained no notable plant and animal life. The Environment Agency continues to work with the Ministry of Defence to ensure they remove all the fuel and contaminated soil from the site.

Members: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 5 November 2008, transferred from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on energy conservation.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	I replied to the letter on 31 March 2009 and apologise for the delay in replying, which was due to departmental reorganisation.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 9 December 2008 sent on behalf of Mr. Andrew Mearman of Thornbury, on cross-contamination of GM crops.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have recently sent a reply to the hon. Member for Northavon.

Power Stations: EU Law

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1330W, on power stations: EC law, whether the Environment Agency plans to apply derogations for plants from the provisions of the EU Large Combustion Plant Directive.

Jane Kennedy: The Environment Agency already applies, where sought, the derogations provided in Article 5(1) and paragraph 2 of Part A of Annex VIII of the Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/80/EC). These relate respectively to the emission limit value for sulphur dioxide for existing plants operating less than 2,000 hours annually and to monitoring requirements in specified circumstances. The Environment Agency is aware there is no need to consider granting the derogations in Article 7 which refer to breakdown or a sudden change in fuel use.

Power Stations: EU Law

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1330W, on power stations: EC law, whether his Department plans to make further provisions in relation to the operation of power stations to which derogations from the EU Large Combustion Plant Directive are applied.

Jane Kennedy: Derogations contained in the Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/20/EC) are for the competent authority (the Environment Agency in England and Wales) to apply as it sees fit in the light of discussion with the plant operator concerned. DEFRA has no plans to make provisions in that respect.

Africa: Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what expenditure his Department had allocated to peacekeeping and conflict resolution in each country in Africa before the revision announced in his statement; how much such expenditure was incurred in each country in Africa in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and which programmes in West and Southern Africa will no longer be pursued.

David Miliband: As set out in my written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 17-19WS, due to a large projected increase in the UK's assessed peacekeeping costs, £456 million of the £556 million available in 2009-10 for the Public Service Agreement for Preventing and Resolving Conflict (PSA 30) under the Comprehensive Spending Review has been ear-marked to cover this projected increase. The remaining £100 million has been supplemented by £71 million from departmental budgets to give a total of £171 million from which all discretionary conflict prevention, stabilisation and peacekeeping activity will be funded. The Africa Programme has been allocated £43 million of this £171 million and spending under the programme has been prioritised to focus on the most pressing conflict issues within the continent.
	In 2009-10, the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool will focus resources in West Africa on support to Sierra Leone, where the UK will continue to support reform of the security sector and the Sierra Leone armed forces through the International Military Assistance Training Team, and Nigeria where the UK will finance the establishment of a Joint Maritime Security Training Centre to enhance security in the Niger Delta, as well as conflict prevention activities in the Delta region. The UK will complete a phased withdrawal of the British Military Assistance Training Team and associated conflict prevention activities in Ghana. In Southern Africa, the UK will continue to support conflict prevention work in Zimbabwe, which focuses on fostering good governance, as well as maintaining co-operation with South Africa on peacekeeping training through the Peace Mission Training Centre (PMTC) and the British Peace Support Training Team (BPST) in South Africa, which will support regional conflict prevention activities.
	Expenditure allocated by the Government to discretionary peacekeeping and conflict prevention in Africa in 2006-07 and 2007-08 broken down by country is detailed in the following table. UK assessed peacekeeping costs for missions in Africa were £149 million in 2006-07 and £172 million in 2007-08.
	
		
			  Africa conflict prevention and discretionary peacekeeping expenditure by country 
			  £ 
			   2006-07  2006-07  2007-08  2007-08 
			   ACPP  Discretionary Peacekeeping  ACPP  Discretionary Peacekeeping 
			  Horn 
			 Djibouti 6,939 — 0 — 
			 Ethiopia 0 — 274,205 — 
			 Somalia 830,524 — 511,406 8,267,346 
			 Sudan 8,796,777 35,501,455 6,507,198 13,848,845 
			 Regional 0 — 270,742 — 
			  Central/East 
			 Burundi 0 — 1,499,799 — 
			 DRC 3,776,481 643,712 4,082,543 1,156,142 
			 Gabon 3,172 — 0 — 
			 Kenya 3,389,860 — 5,372,200 — 
			 Rwanda 116,421 — 735,678 — 
			 Tanzania 0 — 681,900 — 
			 Uganda 870,000 — 1,478,680 — 
			 Great Lakes / Regional 2,536,783 — 5,265,285 — 
			  Southern 
			 Angola 609,453 — 847,649 — 
			 Botswana 213,500 — 45,000 — 
			 Comoros 0 236,704 0  
			 Lesotho 101,000 — 22,000 — 
			 Malawi 225,010 — 355,321 — 
			 Mozambique 205,900 — 362,752 — 
			 Namibia 33,500 — 108,000 — 
			 South Africa 1,946,000 — 1,986,000 — 
			 Swaziland 0 — 8,229 — 
			 Zambia 40,000 — 102,975 — 
			 Zimbabwe 1,987,942 — 3,125,741 — 
			  West 
			 Cameroon 172,110 — 0 — 
			 Cote d'Ivoire 0 — 15,681 — 
			 ECOWAS / Regional 1,246,592 — 400,000 — 
			 Gambia 0 — 264,000 — 
			 Ghana 5,218,057 — 4,416,437 — 
			 Guinea-Bissau 0 — 44,640 — 
			 Guinea 0 — 75,000 — 
			 Regional 0 — 115,966 — 
			 Liberia 2,495,186 400,000 2,014,157 549,248 
			 Sierra Leone 16,095,000 4,407,413 14,032,000 3,311,335 
			 Senegal 169,750 — 273,000 — 
			 Togo 21,168 — 0 — 
			 Nigeria 2,401,318 — 2,451,572 — 
			  Pan-Africa 
			 Africa Union 1,727,293 1,727,293 160,842 160,842 
			 Pan-Africa NGOs 1,725,524 1,725,524 1,731,110 1,731,110 
			 Pan-Africa (MOD) 0 0 445,500 445,500 
			 Total 56,961,260 44,642,101 60,083,208 29,470,368

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2009,  Official Report, column 603W, on France: anti-Semitism, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the incidence of anti-Semitism in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Government are committed to tackling and reducing anti-Semitism. We work closely with the International Coalition Combating anti-Semitism, and co-hosted an international Conference on anti-Semitism at Lancaster House on 17 February 2009. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office leads the UK Delegation to the International Task Force on Holocaust Education and Remembrance and works through its posts to monitor and tackle anti-Semitism overseas.

Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what his Department's definition of the geographical area of wider Europe is; what the programme cost for peacekeeping and conflict resolution in each country in the wider Europe area was before the revision announced in the Statement; and on what activities such expenditure was expected to be incurred.

David Miliband: The new wider Europe Conflict Prevention Programme (CPP) will cover western Balkans (focusing on Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia) and Russia/Commonwealth of Independent States (focusing on Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova). From this programme, we will also fund the UK contribution to the UN force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
	The overall budget for conflict prevention, stabilisation and peacekeeping was set for the comprehensive spending review period 2008-09 to 2010-11. Within this, the allocations to individual regional conflict prevention programmes are set annually after consultation between the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The new wider Europe CPP has been allocated £33 million for 2009-10 financial year.
	Further details on changes to funding of projects and future activities were set out in a letter from my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Caroline Flint) to the chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee of 25 March 2009, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what the projected rise in peacekeeping costs for 2009-10 is; and what percentage increase on costs incurred in 2008-09 this represents.

David Miliband: We estimate that gross assessed costs to international missions paid from the Peacekeeping Budget in 2008-09 will be £332,611,787. However, this will be reduced by a transfer of £29.4 million from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which includes the benefits of the advanced purchase of foreign currency. The net payments are therefore estimated to be around £303.2 million.
	In 2009-10 we have budgeted for assessed costs in the region of £456 million after the benefits of advanced purchase of foreign currency. This would be an increase of £152.7 million or 50 per cent. over 2008-09 net costs.

Departmental Bank Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2009,  Official Repor t, column 621W, on departmental bank services, what the monetary value is of the contract between his Department and HiFX Intelligent Financial Services.

Gillian Merron: The monthly cost of the HiFX Intelligent Financial Services contract is £3,000 plus VAT.

Latin America: Conflict Prevention

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on conflict resources 2009-10, what his Department's expenditure on the programme for peacekeeping and conflict resolution in Latin America was in each of the last five years; and in which countries and on what activities such expenditure was incurred.

David Miliband: As the financial information requested is detailed and will take time to collate, I will write to the right hon. Member with a response, placing a copy in the Library of the House.

Serbia: EU Accession

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2009,  Official Report, column 606W, on Ratko Mladic, what his policy is on Serbian accession to the EU in the event that Ratko Mladic is not arrested; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council conclusions of April 2008 recalled that the pace and conclusion of the negotiations on the EU's Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia would depend (in particular) on Serbia's full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). This condition is still outstanding.
	For the UK, evidence of full co-operation would be a period of committed and sustained activity from the Serbian Government, demonstrating one hundred percent effort and political will. Co-operation with the tribunal covers efforts in a wide range of areas including: tackling support networks; meeting requests for documents; allowing access to archives; ensuring protection of witnesses; as well as locating and transferring the two remaining indictees, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to answer Question 246221, tabled on 8 December 2008 by the hon. Member for Portsmouth South, on the UN reform; and what the reasons are for the time taken to answer.

Gillian Merron: This question was answered on 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 861W. The delay in replying was due to an administrative error.

Community Relations: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written answer by Baroness Andrews of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, WA 212-3, on the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund, if her Department will adopt a policy requiring public bodies that have received funding from it to prevent violent extremism to report annually  (a) to which community groups and individuals they have allocated funding and  (b) on the work they have undertaken and how they plan to monitor its effectiveness.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 March 2009
	The Home Office provides grant funding to a number of public bodies to assist in their activities to prevent violent extremism. This includes the Youth Justice Board, the National Offender Management Service and the police. These organisations are required to regularly report to the Department on expenditure, and account for their activities such that we can evaluate their effectiveness and value for money. This includes where they in turn, provide funding to community organisations.
	In respect of funding provided via local authorities, this is allocated through the area based grant—a non-ring fenced grant fund which allows local authorities to decide the most effective and efficient routes to invest their resources for the delivery of local priorities.
	Authorities are measured on the outcomes they achieve using this funding through the National Indicator Set.
	All authorities, including those who have received area-based grant funding in support of their work to prevent violent extremism, must therefore report to Government annually against National Indicator 35, an indicator in the National Indicator Set which measures progress in building resilience to violent extremism. Work to prevent violent extremism is included in the Comprehensive Area Assessment process, led by the Audit Commission, which assesses how well local services are working together to improve the quality of life for local people.
	We continue to work closely with local authorities to deliver this agenda and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government wrote to the Speaker of the House of Commons on 17 March, copied to Paul Goodman MP, agreeing to provide information about the groups that local authorities are working with.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 55WS, on capital investment (further education colleges), whether  (a) the effect on regeneration programmes and  (b) co-funding from other organisations will be included in the criteria for allocating outstanding funds to college capital funding projects.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) have already begun discussing options for prioritisation with the FE sector already. Once the consultation is complete, the LSC will advise on options.
	We would expect the consultation and subsequent advice to give due consideration to all potential prioritisation criteria, including whether the proposal impacts upon regeneration programmes, or has attracted co-funding from other organisations.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 55WS, on capital investment (further education colleges), what capital funding he plans to make available to the  (a) 79 colleges with approval in principle and  (b) 65 colleges awaiting approval in principle for their building projects; and when such funds will be made available.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) new acting chief executive has appointed an external team to review the current financial data held by the LSC and a team of property specialists to assist the LSC to ensure information held about individual projects is accurate and comprehensive and a sound basis for taking future decisions.
	The LSC are working with the sector for prioritisation criteria for allocating any available funding. Announcements will be made once that work is completed.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 504-6W, on the economic situation, 
	(1)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings his Department incurred in relation to its local business seminar in Hoylake, Wirral on 8 January 2009;
	(2)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings his Department incurred in relation to  (a) the DIUS group meeting and  (b) the DIUS Family delivery partners drinks reception on 19 November 2008;
	(3)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings his Department incurred in relation to its seminar on small and medium enterprises on 26 November 2008;
	(4)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings his Department incurred in relation to its away day to discuss the DIUS response to the downturn on 27 January 2009;
	(5)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings his Department incurred in relation to its seminar on Staying Ahead, investing in science during the down-turn on 19 February 2009.

Si�n Simon: Further to my answer of 25 March regarding the summits, conferences and seminars DIUS has hosted since January 2008, at which a primary subject for discussion was the impact of the economic situation on matters within DIUS' responsibility; the cost of these events, by category, is listed as follows.
	
		
			  PQ No.  Event  Cost ()  Cost category 
			 268099 Local businesses seminar Hoylake, Wirral - 8 January 2009 312.80 - incl. VAT Driver's cost for the day - not only for attending this seminar 
			 268100 DIUS Group meeting and DIUS Family (delivery partners) drinks reception -19 November 2008 3,899.35 - excl VAT Venue, catering and delegate management 
			 268101 Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Panel - 26 November 2008 223.00 (VAT not applied) Cost of travel of SMEs attending the panel 
			 268102 DIUS Family (delivery partners) Awayday to discuss the DIUS response to the downturn. 38,557.29 - incl. VAT Venue, catering and delegate management before during and after, including setting up an online registration, evaluation and discussion space 
			  + 4,000.00 - incl. VAT Facilitators, including briefing, facilitating and reporting 
			 268103 'Staying Ahead - investing in science during the downturn' -19 February 2009 3,400.00 - excl. VAT Venue, catering and delegate management

Further Education: Capital Investment

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's contribution in the Westminster Hall debate on the Building Colleges for the Future programme on 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 121WH, to which hon. Members the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has written inviting them to meet him to discuss the matters in detail.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 31 March 2009
	On the 16 January, I wrote to 105 Membersa list of which is as follows. The letter was targeted at those Members who had colleges in their constituencies that we were aware were affected by the position of the further education capital programme. The letter included an offer to meet with any Members who had concerns regarding further education colleges in their own constituencies.
	Prior to the 4 March and the Learning and Skills Council national Council meeting, I had been in correspondence with 58 Members regarding the position of the further education capital programme. On the 6 March, following the national Council meeting, I wrote to each of the Members, updating them on the latest capital funding position, and again offering to meet with Members who had concerns regarding their own colleges.
	A list of those 58 Members is also as follows.
	 Annex 1: List of MPs who received a letter from Sin Simon MP regarding the further education capital position
	 16 January distribution list:
	 MPs
	David Heyes
	Eric Illsley
	John Mann
	Frank Field
	Gordon Marsden
	Dr. Brian Iddon
	Mark Simmonds
	Marsha Singh
	Ann Keen
	David Lepper
	Eric Martlew
	Martin Harwood
	Andrew Tyrie
	Christine Russell
	Roberta Blackman-Woods
	Bob Russell
	Richard Ottaway
	Alan Milburn
	Michael Mates
	Stephen O'Brien
	Ben Bradshaw
	Austin Mitchell
	Sylvia Heal
	Iain Wright
	David Willetts
	Andrew Stunell
	John Howell
	Mark Prisk
	Peter Atkinson
	Jonathan Djanogly
	Andrew Turner
	Philip Hollobone
	Ben Wallace
	Jane Kennedy
	Ian McCartney
	Alan Meale
	Dr. Julian Lewis
	Norman Lamb
	Henry Bellingham
	Sally Keeble
	Charles Clarke
	Alan Simpson
	Dr. Evan Harris
	Stewart Jackson
	Mike Hancock
	Mark Hendrick
	Nigel Evans
	Susan Kramer
	Philip Hammond
	Lorely Burt
	Stephen Ladyman
	Dr. John Pugh
	Shaun Woodward
	Ms Dari Taylor
	Mark Fisher
	Lynda Waltho
	John Maples
	Andrew Mitchell
	Jeremy Browne
	Mark Pritchard
	Sir John Stanley
	Adrian Sanders
	Dr. Vincent Cable
	David Clelland
	Mary Creagh
	Denis Murphy
	John Spellar
	David Heathcoat-Amory
	Rosie Cooper
	Tim Farron
	Dr. Richard Taylor
	Ian Cawsey
	Nadine Dorries
	Ian Gibson
	Bob Spink
	Ian Stewart
	Graham Stringer
	Desmond Turner
	Rob Wilson
	Derek Wyatt
	Meg Munn
	Dr. Hywel Francis
	Judy Mallaber
	Damian Green
	Tim Loughton
	Doug Henderson
	Paul Holmes
	Michael Foster
	Khalid Mahmood
	Angela C. Smith
	Janet Dean
	Joan Walley
	Tim Boswell
	Alistair Burt
	Laurence Robertson
	John Penrose
	Annette Brooke
	Dawn Butler
	Douglas Carswell
	John Heppell
	Sharon Hodgson
	Paul Holmes
	Andy Slaughter
	Edward Timpson
	Graham Allen
	Total: 105
	 6 March distribution list:
	 MPs
	Tony Lloyd MP
	Stephen Hepburn MP
	Stephen Haughton MP
	Shona McIsaac MP
	Shahid Malik MP
	Right hon. Jack Straw MP
	Right hon. George Howarth MP
	Right hon. Alan Johnson MP
	Robert Key MP
	Phil Hope MP
	Paul Rowan MP
	Mike Hall MP
	Michael Foster MP
	Michael Clapham MP
	Mary Creagh MP
	Mark Hoban MP
	Jonathan Djanogly MP
	John Mann MP
	John Hayes MP
	Jim Dobbin MP
	Jeff Ennis MP
	Janet Anderson MP
	Ian Cawsey MP
	Ian Austin MP
	Gordon Marsden MP
	Frank Dobson MP
	Eric Illsley MP
	Dr. Richard Taylor MP
	Dr. Howard Stoate MP
	Don Foster MP
	Derek Twigg MP
	Denis MacShane MP
	Dawn Butler MP
	David Wright MP
	David Kidney MP
	Dave Watts MP
	Christine Russell MP
	Celia Barlow MP
	Ben Chapman MP
	Ben Bradshaw MP
	Barry Sheerman MP
	Austin Mitchell MP
	Anne Snelgrove MP
	Alison Seabeck MP
	Adrian Sanders MP
	Right hon. John Hutton MP
	Nick Harvey MP
	Mark Field MP
	Malcolm Moss MP
	Eric Martlew MP
	Eleanor Laing MP
	David Borrow MP
	Dari Taylor MP
	Austin Mitchell MP
	Dr. Tony Wright MP
	Right hon. Andrew Smith MP
	Joan Humble MP
	Alan Keen MP
	Total: 58

Nuclear Engineering: Higher Education

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1902W, on engineering: higher education, how many  (a) masters level students and  (b) doctoral students received funding for nuclear engineering courses in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Data at the level of detail requested by this question is not collected centrally. The following table sets out the overall numbers of chemical, process and energy engineering students at English higher education institutions over the last five years which would include nuclear engineering students.
	
		
			  Academic year  Masters  Doctorates 
			 2003/04 935 605 
			 2004/05 865 645 
			 2005/06 870 630 
			 2006/07 920 665 
			 2007/08 725 865 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five. 2. Covers enrolments of all domiciles to both full-time and part-time courses. 3. Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of subject over the time series.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Vocational Training

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 10-12W, on vocational training, how many businesses in  (a) each region and  (b) each London borough have signed the Skills Pledge.

Si�n Simon: The Skills Pledge is a voluntary, public commitment by employers to support their employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant, valuable qualifications to at least Level 2 (equivalent to five good GCSEs).
	Since the launch of the Skills Pledge in June 2007 we have made excellent progress. The table, taken from the latest available figures, January 2009, show the number of organisations that have made the Skills Pledge in each region. Please note that these figures include both public and private organisations.
	Skills Pledge information is not identifiable by London borough.
	
		
			  Number of organisations to have made the Skills Pledge in each region 
			  Geographical region  Number of pledges 
			 East Midlands 1,281 
			 East of England 829 
			 London 2,594 
			 North East 157 
			 North West 1,849 
			 South East 1,735 
			 South West 868 
			 West Midlands 2,206 
			 Yorks and Humberside 1,272 
			 Total 12,791

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has provided to non-maintained special schools since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on the funding paid to non-maintained special schools back to 1997 is contained within the larger revenue and capital funding streams paid to the education sector as a whole. There would be a disproportionate cost in disaggregating this data to provide the information requested. However, data for the last three financial years can be provided from operational data that are currently available and are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   
			  Financial year  Capital funding  Revenue funding  Total 
			 2008-09 8,804,787 3,101,163 9,905,950 
			 2007-08 6,211,793 3,338,762 9,550,555 
			 2006-07 5,932,967 3,201,283 9,134,250

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Mike O'Brien: Centrally held records relate to absences for medical reasons and also cover absences such as maternity leave. Beyond this special leave may be granted by line managers in accordance with centrally issued guidelines, e.g. for family bereavement. These are not recorded centrally and to do so would incur a disproportionate cost, although the Department does put arrangements in place in the event of industrial action.
	Guidance was issued in respect of the adverse weather of the 2 and 3 February, 2009. Staff were advised to make alternative arrangements such as different means of transport or working from home. Staff were also advised to contact their line managers, without delay, to agree the most appropriate course of action. Managers had a range of options available to ensure business continuity, such as:
	Working flexibly or from home.
	Different work patterns to ease disruption of public transport, e.g. start work later.
	Using annual leave.

Departmental Buildings

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, column 705W, on departmental buildings, how many staff have been moved into 3 Whitehall Place since his Department was created; and how many have yet to be moved there.

Mike O'Brien: A total of 376 DECC staff had moved into the Department's London headquarters at 3 Whitehall Place as of 23 March 2009. Approximately 530 London staff have yet to move.

Departmental Vacancies

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many vacant posts at each Civil Service grade there were in his Department on 1 March 2009.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change was established on 3 October 2008, bringing together parts of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It is now engaged in business planning for the period 2009-10 to 2010-11 which will result in agreed resource allocations for the Department's business units. This will determine the number of vacancies there are to be filled. Local business managers will then determine the appropriate grade to recruit based on business need and available budget.
	This process was on going on the 1 March, 2009.

Energy: Conservation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of visits by assessors to homes of old age pensioners, under the energy conservation and insulation package announced on 11 September 2008, whose visit has not resulted in insulation of lofts, walls or lagging of pipes; and whether assessors are paid for the time taken and travel costs that do not result in energy conservation action;
	(2)  what requirement has been placed on companies contracted to deliver the package on home cavity wall and loft insulation measures in pensioner households, as announced on 11 September 2008, to  (a) pay assessors for each visit made to pensioner or other households to which they have been sent, notwithstanding whether an energy conservation package is consequently installed and  (b) to use the assessor visits to offer other energy services provided by the contractor.

Joan Ruddock: The package of home energy efficiency measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in September last year is delivered principally through two Government schemes; the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Warm Front.
	CERT is a market-based mechanism that operates through an obligation on energy suppliers. The Government are not party to the contractual arrangements between suppliers and their delivery partners, including assessors, as this is an internal commercial matter for them.
	None of the additional funding granted to the Warm Front Scheme in the September 2008 announcement has been or will be used to pay for assessments. Eaga plc, the Warm Front Scheme Manager, does not offer any other energy services to the household when assessing a property.
	On 11 September my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also announced a new Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). The Government are currently consulting on CESP proposals.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to answer Question 252896, tabled by the hon. Member for Winchester on 26 January 2009, on the Warm Front scheme.

Joan Ruddock: I responded to question 252896 on 2 April 2009 and apologise for the delay, which was due to departmental reorganisation.

Written Questions: Government Responses

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to answer question 248137, tabled on 14 January 2009, on power cuts in Stroud constituency.

Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 941W.

Olympic Games 2012: Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 815W, on Olympic Games 2012: Scotland, what the monetary value is of the 13 contracts awarded by the Olympic Delivery Authority to firms based in Scotland.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) total spend to date with the 13 businesses registered in Scotland that it has directly awarded contracts to is approximately 1.8 million. These contracts do not include those awarded to sub-contractors. For example, only this week the ODA announced that work is now under way to lift the roof of the London 2012 Aquatics Centre, the steel for which is being rolled in Motherwell and two locations in England.
	The ODA is currently undertaking research into businesses winning sub-contracts in its supply chains, with initial results due in the coming weeks.

Departmental Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1406W, on the economic situation, what expenditure his Department incurred under each budget heading in respect of its Creative Economy Programme Ministerial Steering Board meeting held in December 2008.

Andy Burnham: The only cost for the Creative Economy Programme's Ministerial Steering Board in December 2008 was for refreshments. This cost was 88.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) BlackBerrys and  (b) other mobile telephones have been provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department only holds information for the current year. My Department has 116 Blackberrys and 60 mobile telephones. A breakdown of allocation is as follows:
	
		
			   Ministers  Special advisers  Civil servants 
			 Blackberrys 2 4 110 
			 Mobile phones 1 0 59

Parks: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 254W, on parks: Greater London, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Royal Parks Agency's  (a) most recent research on visitor profiles and  (b) 2006 in-depth study on park usage; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Royal Parks (TRP) advise that these reports are available on their website at:
	http://www.royalparks.org.uk/about/publications/index.cfm#demographic_profile_2006
	Copies of these reports will be deposited in the Libraries.

Government Departments: Procurement

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has issued to Government Departments on the advertisement of procurement contracts on the website for www.supply2.gov.uk; and which  (a) Departments and  (b) agencies use the website.

Ian Pearson: BERR and HMT Ministers wrote jointly to all Departments in April 2008 to reiterate the Government's commitment to advertise procurement opportunities below the EU procurement thresholds on the www.supply2.gov.uk site. An event for departmental procurement officials in June 2008 was also held to raise awareness.
	The following Departments and agencies currently advertise opportunities directly on to the portal:
	Cabinet Office
	Department for Children, Schools and Families
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Home Office/Ministry of Justice
	Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
	Department for Transport
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Crown Prosecution Service
	The site also contains contract opportunities from other Departments and bodies by means of research and data feeds from other sites including the defence and health care sectors.

Public Sector: Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the  (a) start and  (b) end date of the 50-year period is over which he estimated that reforms to the Civil Service, NHS and teachers' pension schemes would save 13 billion;
	(2)  what discount rate was used to estimate the net present value of savings from reforms to the Civil Service, NHS and teachers' pension schemes;
	(3)  if he will estimate the net present value of savings made by reforms to  (a) the Police Pension Scheme,  (b) the Armed Forces Pension Scheme and  (c) the Firefighters' Pension Scheme on the same basis as he estimated that reforms to the Civil Service, NHS and teachers' pension schemes would save 13 billion over 50 years;
	(4)  with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Yeovil of 31 October 2006,  Official Report, column 317W, on public sector pensions, how he calculated the net present value of savings over a 50-year period without first estimating the savings that would be achieved in each year;
	(5)  whether his estimate that reforms to the Civil Service, NHS and teachers' pension schemes would deliver savings with a net present value of 13 billion over 50 years is expressed in 2008 prices;
	(6)  what assumptions he has made about the dates of commencement of reforms to the Civil Service, NHS and teachers' pension schemes; when he made his estimate that such reforms would save 13 billion over a 50-year period; and if he will revise his estimate on the basis of the dates on which the reforms took effect;
	(7)  what account his estimate of a 13 billion saving from reforms to the Civil Service, NHS and teachers' pension schemes takes of  (a) the net present value of cashflow savings on benefits paid out net of employee contributions paid in during the 50-year period and  (b) the net present value of the reduction in the value of benefits accrued relative to employee contributions paid during the 50-year period; what other factors his estimate takes into account; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: To assist discussions of modernisation reforms to the pension schemes for the NHS, teachers and civil service in 2005, an indicative estimate of 13 billion was calculated as the potential net saving in employer costs for these three schemes over a 50-year period from 2006. The estimates were based on approximate methodologies to indicate the savings that might result from the proposals then under discussion and were heavily rounded to allow for factors such as the possibility of a few years variation in start dates.
	The estimate was calculated as at 2005, using 2005-06 prices, to show the amount of employer contribution savings over a 50-year period, converted to a capitalised value. This reflected savings in the value of benefits built up over the 50-year period, not cashflow savings on benefits paid out over that period. The estimate took into account expected membership of the pension schemes and a net discount rate of 3.5 per cent. per annum in excess of prices.
	The subsequent packages that were actually introduced included further reforms, such as cost sharing and cost capping mechanisms, to limit employer costs. The 13 billion calculations are now obsolete and revised estimates of the capitalised savings and extensions of the estimates to other schemes on the assumptions used in 2005 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Instead, the significant level of savings that are already being delivered by the scheme reforms were described in my answer to the hon. Member of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1909W.

VAT

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 263W, on VAT, what estimate he has made of the financial effect on  (a) the Exchequer and  (b) households,  (c) businesses and  (d) other groups of the temporary reduction in value added tax combined with increases in alcohol and tobacco duty.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the revenue impact on the Exchequer from changes to VAT, alcohol duties and tobacco duties as announced at pre-Budget report 2008 are published in table B5 of the pre-Budget report 2008.
	It is estimated that 70 per cent. of the impact from the VAT rate change is accounted for by households and that 100 per cent. of duty rate changes are passed through to households.
	The relative sizes of the relevant tax changes mean that the overall shares supplied in the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 263W for VAT alone are largely unchanged when combined with the alcohol and tobacco elements.

Nuclear Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what collisions involving a UK nuclear powered submarine and  (a) another submarine,  (b) another naval vessel,  (c) a private vessel and  (d) a merchant vessel have taken place since 1979;
	(2)  what grounding incidents involving UK nuclear-powered submarines have taken place since 1979.

Bob Ainsworth: The Royal Navy has no records of collisions between nuclear powered submarines and other submarines and naval vessels, other than the recent incident involving HMS Vanguard and the French submarine Le Triomphant.
	The full list of incidents of collisions involving Royal Navy nuclear powered submarines for which the Royal Navy holds records is as follows:
	HMS Superb grounding in the Red Sea in May 2008.
	HMS Tireless struck an iceberg while on Arctic Patrol in May 2003.
	HMS Trafalgar grounded on Fladda-chuain in November 2002.
	HMS Triumph grounded in November 2000.
	HMS Victorious grounded, while surfaced, on Skelmorlie Bank in November 2000.
	HMS Trenchant grounded off the coast of Australia in July 1997.
	HMS Repulse grounded in the North Channel in July 1996.
	HMS Trafalgar grounded off the Isle of Sky in July 1996.
	HMS Valliant grounded in the North Norwegian Sea in March 1991.
	HMS Trenchant snagged the fishing vessel Antares in the Arran Trench in November 1990.
	HMS Spartan grounded west of Scotland in October 1989.
	HMS Sceptre snagged the fishing vessel Scotia in November 1989.
	HMS Conqueror collided with the yacht Dalriada off the Northern Irish coast in July 1988.
	All the vessels, apart from HMS Superb, which was decommissioned in October 2008, were repaired and returned to service.
	Information is not held centrally for the period 1979-88 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

USA: Military Bases

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 21 June 2004,  Official Report, column 1078, on RAF Menwith Hill, for which military bases on British soil hon. Members seeking to visit would require the permission of the US administration; and if he will issue guidance to hon. Members on procedures for gaining approval for such visits.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no military bases on British soil for which approval is required from the US administration for hon. Members to visit.

Housing Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number and percentage of households in the private rented sector which received housing benefit in each of the last three years.

Kitty Ussher: Information for the last three years for which data are available on the number of privately rented households in receipt of housing benefit has been supplied along with the overall numbers of households in the private rented sector. As the figures have been drawn from different sources and are based on different time scales the percentage of households receiving housing benefit in the privately rented sector has not been presented.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of households in the private rented sector receiving housing benefit in Great Britain, 2005-07 
			  As at August each year  Private households receiving housing benefit 
			 2005 805,550 
			 2006 861,000 
			 2007 940,600 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 5. From February 2007, DWP has been collecting more detailed HB/CTB data electronically from local authorities. Over time this will improve the accuracy, timeliness and level of detail available in the published statistics. However, until the new data have been fully quality assured to National Statistics standards, the most recent summary statistics available are for August 2007.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2005 to August 2007

Public Opinion

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is as follows:
	(i) We have no record of any payments being made to Deborah Mattinson.
	(ii) The total payments made to Opinion Leader Research since 31 December 2007 are 33,622.75

Departmental Bank Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 986W, on departmental bank services, what the  (a) purpose and  (b) monetary value is of each contract between his Department and each of the banks listed in the Answer.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport has had four contracts in place with banks in 2008-09 as follows:
	
		
			  Bank  Purpose of contract  Estimated value  () 
			 UBS Ltd Crossrail financial advisor, advising DFT on funding and governance arrangements 175,000 
			 Merrill Lynch International Aviation financial advice, related to the purchase of BAA by Ferrovial 50,000 
			 Merrill Lynch International Aviation financial advicereview of regulatory framework for UK airports 150,000 
			 Citigroup Global Markets Ltd Financial advisory services in relation to the restructuring of London and Continental Railways Ltd and the disposal of its subsidiary businesses 3,240,000

Departmental Public Consultations

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public consultations his Department has conducted in the last 12 months; how long each consultation was open for; how many responses were received in each case; and what the cost of conducting each consultation was.

Geoff Hoon: Details, of the consultations conducted by the Department for Transport between 1 February 2008 and 31 January 2009 have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1124W, which Ministers took the  (a) induction and  (b) action learning set course; and how much these courses cost.

Geoff Hoon: The two courses referred to in my earlier answer cost 100 and 250 respectively. Identifying Ministers who undertake training would, or would be likely to, discourage participation in future training sessions, acting as a disincentive for Ministers to undertake formal professional development.

Highways Agency

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings there have been between Ministers in his Department and the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to discuss the workings of the Agency in the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: Monthly meetings are held between the Minister of State for Transport (Lord Adonis) and the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, at which they discuss a variety of issues including the workings of the Highways Agency.
	The former Chief Executive, Archie Robertson, also had regular meetings with previous Ministers on a regular basis.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the effect of snowfall on the cost of road repairs since 1 January 2009.

Paul Clark: The Highways Agency is responsible for the maintenance of the strategic road network. They have not separately identified or estimated over and above the cost of maintenance to the overall road network, expenditure on repairs incurred because of snowfalls experienced this year. The Highways Agency's experience is that such costs are small compared to overall maintenance expenditure. The costs are likely to be for treating safety related defects, which are treated promptly as part of the routine and winter maintenance programme.
	The management of local roads in England is the responsibility of each local highway authority. The Department for Transport has not made an estimate of the cost of repairs to local roads caused by this year's severe winter.

Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1531-44, on new trains (investment), how many of the carriages to be supplied by Agility Trains for the contract for new inter-city express trains will be manufactured solely in Japan.

Paul Clark: Agility Trains has indicated that only around the first 70 pre-series vehicles, out of an order for up to 1,400, will be manufactured solely in Japan. They are committed to spending 70 per cent. of the super Express Trains contract value in the United Kingdom.

Rolling Stock

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1611-2W, on rolling stock, whether the additional vehicles for South Central and South Eastern listed in his Department's Rolling Stock Plan will be cascaded ex-Thameslink stock.

Paul Clark: It is not possible to be definitive in respect of the actual solutions for capacity enhancement for these franchises at this time.
	Discussions with the respective train operators (or, in the case of South Central, the bidders for the new franchise) are ongoing.

Waterloo Station

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 16W, on Waterloo Station, whether agreement has been reached with South West Trains on the use of former Eurostar platforms at Waterloo.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is working with Network Rail to extend platforms at Waterloo station and across the whole South Western network to increase capacity on some suburban routes from eight to 10 carriage trains by 2014.
	We are continuing to work with Stagecoach South West Trains to provide the additional capacity. These services are subject to concluding value for money negotiations. We expect these services to align with the Network Rail delivery date.

Arms Trade

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the evidence of the Economic and Business Minister to the Committee on Arms Export Controls on 21 January 2009, HC 178-i, how many licence applications  (a) have been made and  (b) are still current for head-up display units since 2002, broken down by country of destination; and how many such applications have been approved by country of destination.

Ian Pearson: The Government publish summary details of export licences issued, refused and revoked in their annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. This is broken down by destination, including a summary of the items covered by these licences, and where appropriate, the criteria against which the licence has been refused. Standard individual export licences (SIELs) are generally valid for two years from the date of issue, and open individual export licences (OIELs) generally for five years from the date of issue.
	The Government's annual reports, published since 1997, and quarterly reports, published since 2004, are available from the House of Commons Library and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/publications/publications/annual-reports/export-controls1
	The latest date for which information is available is 30 September 2008.
	Head-up displays will be included in the goods description military aircraft head-up displays. The reports do not break down goods descriptions beyond this level of detail.

Arms Trade

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Sherwood of 8 July 2002,  Official Report, column 653W, on export licences, whether licences are still being granted for export to the United States of components for  (a) F-16 aircraft and  (b) Apache helicopters destined for Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 3 February 2009
	 The Government publish detailed information on export licences issued, refused and revoked by destination, including value and a summary of the items covered by these licences, in their annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. Information on export licences issued for incorporation before onward export is given separately for each destination in the Reports. The Government's annual reports, published since 1997, and quarterly reports published since 2004, are available from the Libraries of the House and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/publications/publications/annual-reports/export-controls1
	Any such export licence applications would be considered on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria and all relevant information and circumstances at the time of the application, while at the same time having regard to the factors listed in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's statement of 8 July 2002 setting out the Government's approach to UK exports for incorporation and onward export.

Business Link

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many calls were  (a) received and  (b) answered by Business Link in each region in each of the last 12 months for which information is available.

Ian Pearson: The number of calls received and answered by Business Link in each region in 2008 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number 
			   North West  North East  Yorkshire  East Midlands  West Midlands  East of England  London  South East  South West  Total 
			 Received 36,636 34,562 63,040 38,326 61,160 60,000 44,928 65,544 47,134 451,330 
			 Answered 34,697 33,048 62,066 36,433 60,543 60,000 43,116 63,140 47,134 440,177 
		
	
	The data is not available month by month and could be produced only at disproportionate cost. Data is unavailable prior to this date. Data for East of England has been rounded. Every call should be answered, in the first instance, via a customer service representative. During high call periods or after hours calls are picked up by an overflow or after hours service with callers contacted as soon as possible.

Clemmow Hornby Inge Partners

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what contracts his Department has awarded to Clemmow Hornby Inge Partners since 1 January 2007; and on what dates  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have met representatives of Clemmow Hornby Inge Partners since that date.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 30 March 2009
	Central records indicate that no contracts have been awarded to Clemmow Hornby Inge Partners by this Department since 1 January 2007 nor have they worked on any BERR business since then. There is no record of Ministers or officials meeting Clemmow Hornby Inge Partners since 1 January 2007.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) Blackberrys and  (b) mobile telephones were provided to (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005.

Patrick McFadden: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Department has deployed Blackberry services to staff since 2006 through the Office of Government Commerce's mobile telecommunication services contract. From the records available the total number of Blackberry services provided each year since 2006 has been:
	
		
			   Ministers  Special Advisers  Other Staff 
			 2006 0 0 60 
			 2007 4 4 306 
			 2008 5 5 336 
			 2009 6 5 430 
		
	
	 (b) The Department uses the Office of Government Commerce's mobile telecommunication services contract to provide official mobile telephones to staff. No detailed information is available on the total number of services that have been deployed to Ministers and their special advisers. During this period all Ministers and special advisers have had access to mobile telephones from a central pool of handsets operated by the ministerial offices. Information on the total number of mobile telephone services provided to all BERR staff each year is only held from 2008.
	
		
			   Total number of staff mobiles provided 
			 2008 949 
			 2009 921

Electoral Commission: Codes of Practice

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2008,  Official Report, column 601W, on regulation: departmental co-ordination, whether the Code of Practice on Guidance applies to the Electoral Commission when it issues regulatory guidance that affects  (a) political parties and  (b) other voluntary organisations.

Ian Pearson: The code of practice on guidance is not intended to apply when guidance is issued to political parties by the Electoral Commission.

LDV: Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding has been provided to the LDV Group for investment in lower carbon technology since 27 January 2009.

Ian Pearson: None, but as with other automotive companies with a turnover in excess of 25 million, LDV is eligible to apply to the Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) which opened for applications on 27 February 2007.

Motor Vehicles: Government Assistance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) the Bank of England on action to safeguard the motor industry; for what reasons the Secretary of State said on 12 March 2009 that he wished that such discussions had gone quicker than they had; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: BERR Ministers and officials have had a number of discussions with the Treasury and the Bank of England about action to safeguard the motor industry. In particular, Lord Davies has met with various stakeholders as part of his work on possible options to help improve the flow of liquidity to car finance companies. The Secretary of State's comments that he wished discussions had progressed faster reflect BERR's aim of helping viable businesses overcome the current difficult circumstances.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 397-8W, on Saudi Arabia: arms trade, whether there is any extant cover for  (a) the Salam Project and  (b) any other BAE Systems' military sales to Saudi Arabia; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 30 March 2009
	ECGD currently provides no support for any BAE Systems contracts in Saudi Arabia.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to answer Question  (a) 243136,  (b) 243135 and  (c) 243821 tabled by the hon. Member for Winchester on 9 December 2008, on the Small Business Finance Scheme.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 23 February 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave for questions 243136 and 243135 on 24 March 2009,  Official Report, column 352W.
	I am answering question 243821 today.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  when he plans to answer Question 244004, on the Small Business Finance Scheme, tabled on 10 December 2008;
	(2)  when he plans to answer Question 244003, on the Small Business Finance Scheme, tabled on 10 December 2008;
	(3)  when he plans to answer Question 244002, on the Small Business Finance Scheme, tabled on 10 December 2008.

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  when he plans to answer Question 246108, on payments to small and medium-sized enterprises, tabled on 12 January 2009;
	(2)  when he plans to answer Question 246106 on payments to small and medium-sized enterprises tabled on 12 January 2009.

Ian Pearson: I am answering the questions today.

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Paul Goggins: On 2 February 2009 32 staff in the Northern Ireland Office were absent due to non-medical reasons; and on 3 February 2009 22 staff were absent due to non-medical reasons. For the majority of these absences staff used their annual leave entitlement and there was no additional cost to the Department. In the remaining cases staff were granted special paid leave, in accordance with civil service terms and conditions. Staff who were absent due to the weather conditions were advised to attempt to attend if at all possible, but not to take unnecessary risks or put themselves in danger. The cost to the Department for the absences was 5,051.13 and 372.8 working hours were lost.

Reoffenders

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 998-1000W, on reoffenders, what the reasons are for the increase in the reoffending rate for people aged 18 years and over; and what steps are being taken to reduce the rate.

Paul Goggins: A small increase in the reoffending rate for people aged 18 years and over should be seen in context. The overall number of offenders discharged from custody in Northern Ireland in any one year is relatively small, and so any variation in the number of reoffenders can have a disproportionate effect on the annual rate. The recent increases in the reoffending rate of adult offenders discharged from custody represent 49 more reoffenders in 2005 than in 2004 and 59 more reoffenders in 2006 than in 2005.
	A cross-Government approach is essential to making significant inroads into levels of reoffending. Current initiatives under way include the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Group and a draft strategy for the management of women offenders in Northern Ireland. A learning and skills forum has been established in order to address deficits among offenders.

Departmental Manpower

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, column 17W, on departmental personnel, how many employment contracts were issued by his Department in the latest financial year for which figures are available for individual members of staff for which the total cost to his Department was over 100,000; what the monetary value of each contract was; who the recipient of each contract was; what the purpose of each contract was; and what the job description was in each case.

Douglas Alexander: During the financial year 2007-08, the Department for International Development (DFID) let one employment contract where the total cost exceeded 100,000. The monetary value of that contract 102,000.

St. Helena

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, column 40WS, on St. Helena, what estimate he has made of the cost of the consultation on options for access to St. Helena.

Douglas Alexander: We estimate the cost of the consultation on options for access to St. Helena will be approximately 40,000. This includes costs of organising and managing meetings on the islands of St. Helena, Falklands and Ascension, and in the UK, and for publication and dissemination of the consultation document.

Departmental Public Consultation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Rights and Responsibilities Green Paper of 23 March 2009, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all sections of the UK will have a view as part of the consultation; and how long he expects the consultation to last.

Michael Wills: The Government wish to ensure that people across the United Kingdom can participate in the consultation on the Green Paper, Rights and Responsibilities: developing our constitutional framework. People will be able to respond to the consultation in writing and online using the Ministry of Justice's People, Power and Politics website
	http://governance.justice.gov.uk
	and through social networking websites. The consultation is also being promoted through Directgov.
	The Government intend to hold regional deliberative events, conferences and seminars across the UK. There will also be academic research on key aspects of the proposals, a young person's version of the Green Paper and there has been considerable interest from parties external to Government in holding events on rights and responsibilities.
	Full consultation and debate about such a constitutional development will inevitably take some time. It is for this reason the Government have not at this stage set an end date for the consultation.

National Offender Management Service: Cymbran

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what use is being made of the former Centrex site in Cymbran now owned by the National Offender Management Service.

Jack Straw: The former Centrex site in Cwmbran is not currently in use other than for occasional training exercises by Gwent police. Following the decision in February 2009 not to build a new prison on the site consideration is being given to its disposal.

Prisoner Escapes: Research

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2009,  Official Report, column 243W, on prisoner escapes, if he will publish the results of the research referred to.

David Hanson: A copy of the report entitled An Analysis of Absconders in 2002 and 2003 will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	This report is now dated. The success in reducing absconds and escapes from prisons has meant that further research work in this area has not been a priority. The number of absconds has reduced from 1,115 in 1996-97 to 513 in 2007-08.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prison officers,  (b) prison governors and  (c) non-officer members of staff working in prisons were assaulted in the course of their work in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The information is set out in the following table. Assault data is not recorded in the form requested but is recorded at establishment level in four categories: prisoner on prisoner, prisoner on officer, prisoner on other and other (which may include non-prisoner perpetrators). The recorded incidents of assaults on prison officers are not completely exclusive to officers; establishment recording sometimes includes assaults on other prison staff in this category and may include managers and non-officer staff such as health care professionals and teachers, etc. The category prisoner on other contains few entries but these may include prison staff as well as visitors, legal visitors, etc. The category other will contain some assaults on prison staff by non-prisoners, for example, by visitors.
	The numbers supplied refer to the number of individual assault incidents; they include all incidents recorded as assaults and may also include threatening behaviour, projection of bodily fluids and other non-contact events and allegations.
	The information set out as follows is subject to important qualifications. The NOMS incident reporting system processes high volumes of data which are constantly being updated. The numbers provide a good indication of overall numbers but should not be interpreted as absolute. Assault data is complex and the numbers need to be interpreted with caution. Information recorded as assault incidents may involve one or many prisoners as some assault incidents may involve more than one assailant or more than one victim. Additionally, in a proportion of incidents, only the victim is known.
	Reducing violence in prisons is a priority for Ministers, NOMS and the Prison Officers Association and they are collectively committed to working towards a zero tolerance approach to prison violence. Since 2004, a national strategy has directed every public sector prison to have in place a local violence reduction strategy and since mid-2007, this has been applied to the public and contracted-out estate. A whole prison approach is encouraged, engaging all staff, all disciplines and prisoners in challenging unacceptable behaviour, problem-solving and personal safety.
	
		
			  Assaults on prison staff 
			  Classification  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Prisoner On Officer 2,763 3,091 3,124 2,871 2,753 
			 Prisoner On Other 215 201 197 208 195 
			 Other 149 217 199 156 137 
			  Source: NOMS Incident Reporting System.

Departmental ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1676W, on departmental ICT, whether his Department has received a certificate in respect of compliance with the ISO 27001 standard for  (a) IT systems and  (b) services operated by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: ISO 27001 is the international standard for the security management of information systems and superseded the British Standard BS 7799. The Department chose to comply with BS 7799 rather than seek full certification against the standard for its information systems and has maintained this stance with ISO 27001. Internal Audit carried out reviews of compliance against the standard until 2007, when responsibility for this work moved to the Security and Assurance Team.

General Practitioners

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 207-14W, on general practitioners: finance, what the name and postcode is of each listed practice.

Ben Bradshaw: The list of all those practices with General Medical Services minimum practice income guarantee comprising more than 25 per cent. of their total income amended to now include both practice name and postcode details are as follows.
	
		
			  Practices with Correction Factor greater than 25 per cent. of estimated NHS income (Characteristic data taken from Quality Outcomes Framework with 2006-07 data) 
			  Practice identifier  Practice name  Post code  Primary care organisation code  PCO name  Pr (patients over 65)  Weighted population  New registrations index  Staff market forces factor index  No of GPs 
			 5E1A81066 Park Lane Surgery TS211JS 50 North Tees PCT 0.15 3,684 0.98 0.98 3 
			 5A3L81639 Mangotsfield Surgery BS169DN 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 0.14 1,025 0.97 1.01 1 
			 5A4F82639 Dr. Joseph RM5 3PR 5A4 Havering PCT 0.11 2,524 1.00 1.01 1 
			 5A8G83068 Dr. N.S. Guram's Practice SE3 9YR 5A8 Greenwich PCT 0.03 1,582 1.01 1.04 1 
			 5ANB81671 128 Chelmsford Avenue DN34 5DA 5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 0.08 368 0.98 0.96 1 
			 5C3F84033 Somerford Grove Health Centre N16 7UA 5C3 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 0.07 9,777 1.01 1.11 7 
			 5C3F84119 The Heron Practice N4 2NU 5C3 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 0.05 7,831 1.02 1.11 6 
			 5C3F84694 The Surgery (Brooke Road) N16 7LR 5C3 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 0.04 2,925 0.98 1.11 1 
			 5C4F84031 Jubilee Street Practice E1 0LS 5C4 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 0.12 10,492 1.00 1.12 7 
			 5C4F84107 Dr. Khanam E2 6LL 5C4 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 0.09 2,604 0.99 1.12 2 
			 5C5F84671 Katherine Road Medical Centre E7 8DR 5C5 Newham Primary Care Team 0.05 1,708 1.01 1.06 1 
			 5C5F84673 Esk Road Medical Centre E13 8LJ 5C5 Newham Primary Care Team 0.03 2,766 1.00 1.06 1 
			 5F1L83117 Park View Surgery PL4 6NU 5F1 Plymouth Primary Care Trust 0.17 980 1.00 0.96 1 
			 5GCE81633 Dr. Ha Ar-Rikaby's Practice LU3 2JG 5GC Luton 0.06 1,826 1.02 1.02 1 
			 5HXE85687 Acton Lane Medical Centre W4 5DG 5HX Ealing PCT 0.05 1,254 1.04 1.06 1 
			 5J5P85024 Westwood Medical Practice OL9 6TS 5J5 Oldham Primary Care Trust 0.05 3,406 0.99 0.96 1 
			 5J5P85622 Jarvis House OL4 1DT 5J5 Oldham Primary Care Trust 0.04 2,448 0.99 0.96 1 
			 5K5E84696 Peel Precinct Surgery NW6 5RE 5K5 Brent PCT 0.03 1,756 1.02 1.07 1 
			 5K7F83044 The Bloomsbury Surgery WC1N1PD 5K7 Camden Primary Care Trust 0.10 4,669 1.04 1.13 2 
			 5K9H83030 Broom Road Practice CR0 8NG 5K9 Croydon Primary Care Trust 0.09 3,147 1.00 1.05 2 
			 5KLA89012 Dr. Dixit's Practice NE387NQ 5KL Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust 0.09 4,563 0.98 0.96 1 
			 5L1J82663 Highfield Health SO171BJ 5L1 Southampton City Primary Care Trust 0.02 2,801 1.07 1.01 1 
			 5LCE87677 Imperial College Health Centre SW7 1LY 5LC Westminster PCT 0.02 5,647 1.11 1.13 4 
			 5LCE87691 Westminster School SW1P 3PB 5LC Westminster PCT 0.00 131 1.09 1.13 1 
			 5LCE87694 Buckingham Palace Practice SW1A 1AA 5LC Westminster PCT 0.05 258 1.03 1.13 1 
			 5LEG85705 Dr. A. M. Campion's Practice SE1 2BP 5LE Southwark PCT 0.08 4,176 1.06 1.11 1 
			 5LEY00454 Dr. R Sharma's Practice SE1 6ED 5LE Southwark PCT 0.05 2,285 1.03 1.11 1 
			 5LFG85711 Dr. R. N. Tiwary's Practice SE146TJ 5LF Lewisham PCT 0.11 1,479 0.99 1.06 1 
			 5LGH85685 Sai Medical Centre SW12 8DT 5LG Wandsworth PCT 0.04 1,349 0.99 1.09 1 
			 5LQG81694 Ship Street Surgery BN1 1AE 5LQ Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT 0.03 2,239 1.07 1.01 1 
			 5M1M85782 Southgate Surgery B29 7BL 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 0.09 1,294 1.04 1.01 1 
			 5M3Y00228 Luqman Medical Centre-Ahmed WS1 4JZ 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 0.03 2,327 1.00 0.96 1 
			 5MKM82607 Leegomery Surgery TF1 6PP 5MK Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust 0.07 2,504 1.01 0.96 2 
			 5LJB85634 Dr. Singh HD2 2YD 5N2 Kirklees PCT 0.07 2,273 1.00 0.97 1 
			 5EXC81112 Littleover Medical Centre DE23 6EL 5N7 Derby City PCT 0.14 2,204 0.97 0.96 2 
			 5EVC84112 Bramcote Surgery NG9 3HF 5N8 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 0.20 2,866 0.99 0.97 3 
			 5D5A82038 Temple Sowerby Medical Practice CA101RW 5NE Cumbria PCT 0.16 3,965 0.99 0.96 4 
			 5DDA82622 Sedbergh School Med Ctr LA105HG 5NE Cumbria PCT 0.01 270 1.09 0.96 2 
			 5G7P81620 Slaidburn Health Centre BB7 3EP 5NH East Lancs PCT 0.18 1,165 0.99 0.95 1 
			 5E2B82617 Coxwold Surgery YO614BB 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 0.29 615 0.97 0.97 1 
			 5KKB82062 Egton Surgery YO211TX 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT 0.20 2,555 0.98 0.97 2 
			 5E6B81032 Hussain Aw HU3 2SE 5NX Hull PCT 0.12 3,088 1.00 0.96 2 
			 5GJE82627 The Maltings Surgery SG129HP 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 0.09 2,351 1.00 1.02 2 
			 5GVE82655 South West Herts Health Centre WD197SF 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 0.08 1,344 1.01 1.05 1 
			 5L2G82030 Marsham Street ME141EW 5P9 West Kent PCT 0.17 5,544 0.99 1.00 3 
			 5L2G82234 Phoenix ME1 3SX 5P9 West Kent PCT 0.13 4,056 0.99 1.00 3 
			 5JCC82111 Dr M. A. Bhojani's Practice LE113TU 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 0.00 8,029 1.09 0.98 3 
			 5EJC82114 Dr. U. K. Roy LE3 0QD 5PC Leicester City PCT 0.17 1,908 1.01 0.98 1 
			 5EYC82659 Melbourne Road Health Centre LE2 0GT 5PC Leicester City PCT 0.04 2,785 1.01 0.98 2 
			 5HTM87613 Brierley Hill Health Ctr A DY5 3EF 5PE Dudley Primary Care Trust 0.07 847 0.99 0.97 1 
			 5HTM87628 Dr. B. K. Prashara DY9 8BT 5PE Dudley Primary Care Trust 0.06 1,634 0.99 0.97 1 
			 5HVM87634 Dr. Basu, St. Thomas's Medical Centre DY2 7QA 5PE Dudley Primary Care Trust 0.04 1,019 1.02 0.96 1 
			 5HWM83670 University Medical Centre Keele ST5 5BG 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 0.02 3,297 1.12 0.95 2 
			 5DQM83732 Springhill Medical Centre WS7 0BG 5PK South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust 0.11 992 1.00 0.97 1 
			 5AGD81629 Bushfield PE2 5RQ 5PN Peterborough PCT 0.09 3,256 1.01 0.99 1 
			 5JHD81005 Newnham Walk Surgery CB3 9HS 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 0.07 7,750 1.05 1.05 5 
			 5JHD81017 279-281 Mill Road CB1 3DG 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 0.10 4,631 1.03 1.05 2 
			 5JHD81037 Bridge Street Surgery CB2 1UU 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 0.06 6,111 1.04 1.05 6 
			 5JJD81033 Over Surgery CB4 5NZ 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 0.13 4,105 0.99 1.03 4 
			 5GMF81141 Rowhedge Surgery CO5 7HP 5PW North East Essex PCT 0.05 7,641 1.08 0.98 5 
			 5GMF81746 Bluebell Surgery CO4 9YN 5PW North East Essex PCT 0.06 1,544 1.01 0.98 1 
			 5GMY00484 Hawthorn Surgery CO4 3GW 5PW North East Essex PCT 0.10 3,494 1.04 0.98 1 
			 5GRF81709 Dr. S. P. L. Das' Practice SS155DT 5PY South West Essex PCT 0.07 612 1.02 1.02 1 
			 5DTK84613 Dr. T. W. D. Anderson's Practice OX26 6XX 5QE Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust 0.04 6,525 1.01 1.03 5 
			 5DTK84621 Dr A. F. B. Gibson's Practice OX263HA 5QE Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust 0.05 3,149 1.00 1.03 2 
			 5FPJ81623 Broadmayne Surgery DT2 8ER 5QM Dorset Primary Care Trust 0.32 1,166 0.99 0.95 1 
			 5FML82017 Isles of Scilly Health Centre TR210HE 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 0.17 2,133 1.02 0.93 2 
			 National Average 0.15 6,380 1.00 1.00 3.46 
		
	
	
		
			  Practice identifier  Practice name  Post code  Primary care organisation code  PCO name  Nursing and residential home patients index  Practice population Q2 2006-07  Standardised limited long-standing illness  Standardised mortality rate under 65 
			 5E1A81066 Park Lane Surgery TS211JS 50 North Tees PCT 1.00 3,968 88.49 65.47 
			 5A3L81639 Mangotsfield Surgery BS169DN 5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 1.00 1,274 83.71 68.45 
			 5A4F82639 Dr. Joseph RM5 3PR 5A4 Havering PCT 1.00 2,814 93.45 97.64 
			 5A8G83068 Dr. N.S. Guram's Practice SE3 9YR 5A8 Greenwich PCT 1.00 1,805 120.78 130.44 
			 5ANB81671 128 Chelmsford Avenue DN34 5DA 5AN North East Lincolnshire PCT 1.00 424 115.30 137.48 
			 5C3F84033 Somerford Grove Health Centre N16 7UA 5C3 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 1.00 10,165 126.76 121.52 
			 5C3F84119 The Heron Practice N4 2NU 5C3 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 1.00 8,158 123.22 121.82 
			 5C3F84694 The Surgery (Brooke Road) N16 7LR 5C3 City and Hackney Primary Care Team 1.00 3,328 127.57 122.79 
			 5C4F84031 Jubilee Street Practice E1 0LS 5C4 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 1.00 9,720 133.09 126.46 
			 5C4F84107 Dr. Khanam E2 6LL 5C4 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Team 1.00 2,563 134.99 145.41 
			 5C5F84671 Katherine Road Medical Centre E7 8DR 5C5 Newham Primary Care Team 1.00 1,948 126.25 123.52 
			 5C5F84673 Esk Road Medical Centre E13 8LJ 5C5 Newham Primary Care Team 1.00 3,638 126.09 133.67 
			 5F1L83117 Park View Surgery PL4 6NU 5F1 Plymouth Primary Care Trust 1.00 992 113.99 99.77 
			 5GCE81633 Dr. H. A. Ar-Rikaby's Practice LU3 2JG 5GC Luton 1.00 2,191 96.87 102.21 
			 5HXE85687 Acton Lane Medical Centre W4 5DG 5HX Ealing PCT 1.00 1,606 83.78 88.85 
			 5J5P85024 Westwood Medical Practice OL9 6TS 5J5 Oldham Primary Care Trust 1.00 3,548 141.84 178.74 
			 5J5P85622 Jarvis House OL4 1DT 5J5 Oldham Primary Care Trust 1.00 2,544 145.34 186.32 
			 5K5E84696 Peel Precinct Surgery NW6 5RE 5K5 Brent PCT 1.00 1,978 116.40 135.77 
			 5K7F83044 The Bloomsbury Surgery WC1N1PD 5K7 Camden Primary Care Trust 1.00 4,233 118.23 157.45 
			 5K9H83030 Broom Road Practice CR0 8NG 5K9 Croydon Primary Care Trust 1.00 3,900 81.36 82.27 
			 5KLA89012 Dr. Dixit's Practice NE387NQ 5KL Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust 1.00 4,901 122.84 97.31 
			 5L1J82663 Highfield Health SO171BJ 5L1 Southampton City Primary Care Trust 1.00 3,726 100.34 107.64 
			 5LCE87677 Imperial College Health Centre SW7 1LY 5LC Westminster PCT 1.00 8,856 73.85 78.62 
			 5LCE87691 Westminster School SW1P3PB 5LC Westminster PCT 1.00 208 89.59 116.65 
			 5LCE87694 Buckingham Palace Practice SW1A1AA 5LC Westminster PCT 1.00 294 83.63 101.91 
			 5LEG85705 Dr. A. M. Campion's Practice SE1 2BP 5LE Southwark PCT 1.01 4,317 101.06 112.14 
			 5LEY00454 Dr. R Sharma's Practice SE1 6ED 5LE Southwark PCT 1.00 2,525 109.44 129.53 
			 5LFG85711 Dr. R. N. Tiwary's Practice SE146TJ 5LF Lewisham PCT 1.00 1,524 105.43 138.85 
			 5LGH85685 Sai Medical Centre SW128DT 5LG Wandsworth PCT 1.00 1,864 95.35 106.14 
			 5LQG81694 Ship Street Surgery BN1 1AE 5LQ Brighton and Hove City Teaching PCT 1.00 2,626 103.48 149.61 
			 5M1M85782 Southgate Surgery B29 7BL 5M1 South Birmingham PCT 1.01 1,472 100.68 99.40 
			 5M3Y00228 Luqman Medical Centre-Ahmed WS1 4JZ 5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 1.00 2,741 121.99 133.46 
			 5MKM82607 Leegomery Surgery TF1 6PP 5MK Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust 1.00 2,917 114.37 102.23 
			 5LJB85634 Dr. Singh HD2 2YD 5N2 Kirklees PCT 1.00 2,578 109.37 126.36 
			 5EXC81112 Littleover Medical Centre DE236EL 5N7 Derby City PCT 1.00 2,393 99.28 94.44 
			 5EVC84112 Bramcote Surgery NG9 3HF 5N8 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 1.00 3,147 85.31 69.12 
			 5D5A82038 Temple Sowerby Medical Practice CA101RW 5NE Cumbria PCT 1.00 3,831 82.87 91.59 
			 5DDA82622 Sedbergh School Med Ctr LA105HG 5NE Cumbria PCT 1.00 518 79.78 48.23 
			 5G7P81620 Slaidburn Health Centre BB7 3EP 5NH East Lancs PCT 1.00 1,076 82.52 98.27 
			 5E2B82617 Coxwold Surgery YO614BB 5NV North Yorkshire And York PCT 1.00 538 71.86 63.06 
			 5KKB82062 Egton Surgery YO211TX 5NV North Yorkshire And York PCT 1.00 2,318 95.61 88.92 
			 5E6B81032 Hussain A.W. HU3 2SE 5NX Hull PCT 1.00 2,851 128.60 175.00 
			 5GJE82627 The Maltings Surgery SG129HP 5P3 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 1.00 2,921 74.07 76.85 
			 5GVE82655 South West Herts Health Centre WD197SF 5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 1.00 1,393 101.92 109.61 
			 5L2G82030 Marsham Street ME141EW 5P9 West Kent PCT 1.00 5,816 88.61 93.46 
			 5L2G82234 Phoenix ME1 3SX 5P9 West Kent PCT 1.00 4,252 84.45 95.38 
			 5JCC82111 Dr M. A. Bhojani's Practice LE113TU 5PA Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 1.00 13,563 93.51 91.79 
			 5EJC82114 Dr. U. K. Roy LE3 0QD 5PC Leicester City PCT 1.01 1,843 108.04 116.77 
			 5EYC82659 Melbourne Road Health Centre LE2 0GT 5PC Leicester City PCT 1.00 3,225 126.95 128.46 
			 5HTM87613 Brierley Hill Health Ctr A DY5 3EF 5PE Dudley Primary Care Trust 1.00 1,024 110.63 111.44 
			 5HTM87628 Dr. B. K. Prashara DY9 8BT 5PE Dudley Primary Care Trust 1.00 1,958 114.97 118.50 
			 5HVM87634 Dr. Basu, St. Thomas's Medical Centre DY2 7QA 5PE Dudley Primary Care Trust 1.00 1,220 124.59 114.34 
			 5HWM83670 University Medical Centre Keele ST5 5BG 5PH North Staffordshire PCT 1.00 4,562 105.11 74.95 
			 5DQM83732 Springhill Medical Centre WS7 0BG 5PK South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust 1.00 1,144 95.19 96.57 
			 5AGD81629 Bushfield PE2 5RQ 5PN Peterborough PCT 1.00 3,576 99.94 102.45 
			 5JHD81005 Newnham Walk Surgery CB3 9HS 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 1.00 10,919 67.63 53.71 
			 5JHD81017 279-281 Mill Road CB1 3DG 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 1.00 5,310 86.53 86.89 
			 5JHD81037 Bridge Street Surgery CB2 1UU 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 1.00 8,276 76.81 73.43 
			 5JJD81033 Over Surgery CB4 5NZ 5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 1.00 4,413 68.87 68.63 
			 5GMF81141 Rowhedge Surgery CO5 7HP 5PW North East Essex PCT 1.00 10,042 96.44 73.92 
			 5GMF81746 Bluebell Surgery CO4 9YN 5PW North East Essex PCT 1.00 1,945 96.65 93.22 
			 5GMY00484 Hawthorn Surgery CO4 3GW 5PW North East Essex PCT 1.00 3,760 118.37 99.87 
			 5GRF81709 Dr. S. P. L. Das' Practice SS155DT 5PY South West Essex PCT 1.00 722 94.03 91.73 
			 5DTK84613 Dr. T. W. D. Anderson's Practice OX266XX 5QE Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust 1.00 9,217 65.10 64.02 
			 5DTK84621 Dr A. F. B. Gibson's Practice OX263HA 5QE Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust 1.00 4,335 66.35 70.82 
			 5FPJ81623 Broadmayne Surgery DT2 8ER 5QM Dorset Primary Care Trust 1.00 1,040 81.74 58.43 
			 5FML82017 Isles of Scilly Health Centre TR210HE 5QP Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 1.00 2,465 65.12 60.02 
			 National Average 1.00 6,380 102.51 106.25 
			 Note: These practices listed above whose minimum practice income guarantees comprises more than 25% of total NHS income have been calculated on a combination of; Global Sum, Correction Factor and Quality Outcomes Framework income and includes an estimate of their Enhanced Services income. It does not include income from other audited datastreams e.g. Information Management  Technology, Premises, Seniority and Locum payments

Sexually Transmitted Infections: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with each category of sexually-transmitted infection in the London Borough of Hillingdon in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The data is not available in the format requested. Data is only available on the number of diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics and only available by strategic health authority (SHA). The following table gives the number of diagnoses of new STIs in GUM in the London SHA between 2003 and 2007, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Primary and secondary infectious syphilis 731 852 889 821 972 
			 Uncomplicated gonorrhoea 8,862 7,688 6,687 6,452 6,783 
			 Uncomplicated genital Chlamydia 20,330 20,698 21,215 20,734 22,793 
			 Anogenital herpes simplex: 1(st) attack 5,014 4,825 4,859 5,233 6,149 
			 Anogenital warts: 1(st) attack 12,618 13,112 12,713 13,070 14,224 
			  Notes: 1. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 3. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 4. Data are unavailable for 2008.  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns. 
		
	
	In addition to STIs diagnosed in a GUM clinic, the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) provides Chlamydia screening to asymptomatic people under the age of 25 years in England. The NCSP was launched in 2003, when a phased implementation started. The following table shows the number of diagnoses made of Chlamydia in patients between the ages of 15-24 years between April 2003 and December 2008 in London SHA and Hillingdon PCT.
	
		
			  Area  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 London SHA 185 1,711 2,580 3,553 4,201 7,668 
			 Hillingdon PCT (1) (1) 19 40 30 150 
			 (1) Cell size of 1 to 4 has been masked to protect deductive disclosure in accordance with Office for National Statistics guidelines.  Notes: 1. The NCSP has been phased in since 2003 with all 152 PCTs reporting data to the programme since March 2008. Therefore note that number of diagnoses have risen substantially as an increasing proportion of the target population have been tested. 2. NSCP data are presented by PCT of residence. 3. The data from the NCSP Core Dataset are for Chlamydia screens conducted within the NCSP outside of GUM clinics only. 4. The data available from the NCSP are the number of diagnoses made and not the number of patients diagnosed. 5. Data includes Chlamydia tests for males, females and those with unknown/unspecified sex. 6. Data presented are based on tests with confirmed positive diagnoses only.  Source: National Chlamydia Screening Programme Core Dataset.

Council Housing: Rents

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1171-72W, on council housing: rents, if she will make it her policy to fund fully the cost of halving the guideline rent increase for local authority tenants for each participating local authority; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We would expect those councils that decide to reduce their rents would pass in full the impact of halving of the guideline rent increase, with the compensating subsidy adjustment, to council tenants. The Department has written to local authorities outlining the next steps in the process. We would expect councils to be able to cover their costs from their housing revenue account allowances.

Departmental Conferences

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Arms-Length Bodies in Finance Network event on 4 December 2008;
	(2)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to the meeting of the Regional Ministers Economic Delivery Group on 8 December 2008;
	(3)  the cost of her Department's Housing and Planning Expert Panels Seminar held on 26 September 2008 was, broken down by category of expenditure;
	(4)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Regional Ministers Economic Delivery Group held on 17 November 2008; and if she will provide a breakdown of the costs;
	(5)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Housing Roundtable seminar held on 26 and 27 February 2009;
	(6)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Regeneration in Recession seminar held on 18 February 2009;
	(7)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Regional Minister Economic Delivery Group meeting on 9 February 2009;
	(8)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme development workshop held on 5 February 2009;
	(9)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Planning and the Economy workshop held on 28 January 2009;
	(10)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Migration and Economic Downturn seminar held on 23 January 2009;
	(11)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its Home Builders Federation seminar held on 7 January 2009;
	(12)  what expenditure under what budgetary headings her Department incurred in relation to its regional improvement efficiency partnerships worklessness event held on 24 November 2008.

Sadiq Khan: The total expenditure for these 12 events is listed in the following table. These cover refreshments on the day of the event, travel for some of the invitees or speakers and room hire where events were hosted externally.
	
		
			  Summits, conferences and seminars on the economic situation hosted by Communities and Local Government since January 2008 
			  Date held  Title  Description  Cost ()  Budget headings 
			 26 September 2008 Analysis Week - Housing and Planning Expert Panels Seminar Series of short presentations on how housing and planning mitigates against economic downturns  past successes and failures, international comparisons, short and long term options 10,976 Speakers 
			234 Hospitality 
			  
			 17 November 2008 Regional Ministers Economic Delivery Group Membership and TOR; Current Economic Climate and Impact on Region; Regional Update by EDG Group members; Infrastructure/Capital projects  setting out criteria for regional priorities 20 Hospitality 
			 24 November 2008 RIEP - Worklessness event Joint workshop between GOYH and Local Government Yorkshire and the Humber (RIEP funding), to share good practice and for local partners to network. A presentation on the current economic climate and update on the Houghton Review was followed by workshops on what was happening in local economies and what needed to be done. 325 Hospitality 
			850 Facilitation 
			  
			 4 December 2008 Arms-Length bodies in Finance Networking Event Networking event for senior finance managers in Communities and Local Government and it's arms-length bodies looking at the impact of the current economic climate on business areas 366 Hospitality 
			 8 December 2008 Regional Ministers Economic Delivery Group Regional Intelligence Report; Pre Budget Report; Housing in Yorkshire and the Humber; Tackling Rising Unemployment; Communications Plan 20 Hospitality 
			 7 January 2009 Home Builders Federation Seminar Purpose of the seminar was to facilitate a wider stakeholder discussion about the house-building sector with a particular focus on the impact of new regulations on the sector. 156 Hospitality 
			 23 January 2009 Migration and the Economic Downturn Seminar Seminar focusing on: (i) the impacts of the economic downturn on international migration into the UK and (ii) The potential impacts on regional economic performance of a fall in net migration 98 Hospitality 
			 28 January 2009 Planning and the Economy Workshop Joint CLG/Whitehall in Industry Group (WIG) workshop focussing on what the land use planning system can do to aid economic recovery; on mitigating the effects of climate change; and on delivering truly sustainable development. 990 Delegate costs 
			975 Hospitality 
			  
			 5 February 2009 Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme -development workshop One day workshop with lenders and money advice agencies to agree the implementation plans for the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme 8,200 Hospitality and Room Hire 
			 9 February 2009 Regional Ministers Economic Delivery Group Regional intelligence Report; Regional response to redundancies; Business Support Measures; Public Sector Capital Investment 919 Hospitality and Room Hire 
			 18 February 2009 Regeneration in Recession Internal seminar with Professor Ian Gordon and Professor Henry Overman from the Spatial Economic Research Centre, to discuss the spatial implications of the recession and whether the core principles underpinning the government's approach to regeneration were still fit for purpose 0  
			 26 February 2009 Housing Roundtable Seminar examining housing markets and the downturn 340 Travel 
			 27 February 2009 Housing Roundtable Seminar examining housing markets and the downturn 81 Hospitality

Written Questions: Government Responses

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to answer Question 245558, tabled on 18 December 2008, on Government plans to promote the UK as a standard setter for Islamic studies outside the Islamic world.

Sadiq Khan: Question 245558 was transferred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on 12 January 2009 with the agreement of that Department.